EMPLOYMENT TAX CREDIT
Small Employers Should Check Out the Health Care Tax Credit
New and existing small employers who do not yet benefit from the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit should look into whether the credit can help them provide insurance to their employees.
For tax years beginning in 2014 and after, the maximum credit is 50 percent of premiums paid for small business employers, and 35 percent of premiums paid for tax-exempt small employers, such as charities.
Beginning in 2014, a small employer may qualify for the credit if:
The credit is available to eligible employers for two consecutive taxable years.
A small business employer who did not owe tax during the year can carry the credit back or forward to other tax years. Also, since the amount of the health insurance premium payments is greater than the total credit claimed, eligible small employers can still claim a business expense deduction for premiums in excess of the credit.
For tax-exempt small employers, the credit is refundable. Even if the tax-exempt small employer has no taxable income, it may be eligible to receive the credit as a refund so long as it does not exceed its income tax withholding and Medicare tax liability.
More information
More information about the Small Business Health Options Program Marketplace – better known as the SHOP Marketplace – including the Federally Facilitated Marketplace, is available at HealthCare.gov.
For tax years beginning in 2014 and after, the maximum credit is 50 percent of premiums paid for small business employers, and 35 percent of premiums paid for tax-exempt small employers, such as charities.
Beginning in 2014, a small employer may qualify for the credit if:
- It has fewer than 25 employees who work full-time, or a combination of full-time and part-time. For example, two half-time employees equal one full-time employee for purposes of the credit.
- It pays premiums on behalf of employees enrolled in a qualified health plan offered through a Small Business Health Options Program Marketplace or qualifies for an exception to this requirement.
- The average annual wages of full-time equivalent employees are less than $51,000. The annual average wages will be adjusted annually for inflation.
- It pays a uniform percentage for all employees that is equal to at least 50 percent of the premium cost of the insurance coverage.
The credit is available to eligible employers for two consecutive taxable years.
A small business employer who did not owe tax during the year can carry the credit back or forward to other tax years. Also, since the amount of the health insurance premium payments is greater than the total credit claimed, eligible small employers can still claim a business expense deduction for premiums in excess of the credit.
For tax-exempt small employers, the credit is refundable. Even if the tax-exempt small employer has no taxable income, it may be eligible to receive the credit as a refund so long as it does not exceed its income tax withholding and Medicare tax liability.
More information
More information about the Small Business Health Options Program Marketplace – better known as the SHOP Marketplace – including the Federally Facilitated Marketplace, is available at HealthCare.gov.
IRS Offers Tax Credit Guidance to Businesses Hiring Unemployed Veterans and Certain Youth
On November 21, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which amends and expands the definition of Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)'s Veteran target groups.
WASHINGTON — Businesses planning to claim the newly-expanded work opportunity tax credit (WOTC) for eligible unemployed veterans and unskilled younger workers hired during the first part of 2009 have until Aug. 17 to request the certification required for these workers, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Newly-revised Form 8850, now available on IRS.gov, is used by employers to request certification from their state workforce agency. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, enacted in February, added unemployed veterans returning to civilian life and “disconnected youth” to the list of groups covered by the credit. Though eligible unemployed veterans and disconnected youth who begin work anytime during 2009 or 2010 may qualify a business for the credit, certification by the state workforce agency is required.
In general, an unemployed veteran is a person discharged or released from the military during the five years preceding the hiring date who received unemployment benefits for at least four weeks during the one-year period ending on the hiring date. A “disconnected youth” is a person age 16 to 24 on the hiring date who has not been regularly employed or attending school and who meets other requirements.
The WOTC offers tax savings to businesses that hire workers belonging to any of 12 targeted groups, including unemployed veterans and disconnected youth. The other 10 include people ages 18 to 39 living in designated communities in 43 states and the District of Columbia, Hurricane Katrina employees, recipients of various types of public assistance, and certain veterans, summer youth workers and ex-felons. The instructions for Form 8850 detail the requirements for each of these groups.
The certification requirement applies to all groups of workers except employees who were Hurricane Katrina victims. Normally, a business must file Form 8850 with the state workforce agency within 28 days after the eligible worker begins work. But under a special rule, businesses have until Aug. 17, 2009, to file this form for unemployed veterans and disconnected youth who begin work on or after Jan. 1, 2009 and before July 17, 2009. Notice 2009-28, posted today on IRS.gov, and the instructions for Form 8850 provide details on this special rule.
WASHINGTON — Businesses planning to claim the newly-expanded work opportunity tax credit (WOTC) for eligible unemployed veterans and unskilled younger workers hired during the first part of 2009 have until Aug. 17 to request the certification required for these workers, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Newly-revised Form 8850, now available on IRS.gov, is used by employers to request certification from their state workforce agency. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, enacted in February, added unemployed veterans returning to civilian life and “disconnected youth” to the list of groups covered by the credit. Though eligible unemployed veterans and disconnected youth who begin work anytime during 2009 or 2010 may qualify a business for the credit, certification by the state workforce agency is required.
In general, an unemployed veteran is a person discharged or released from the military during the five years preceding the hiring date who received unemployment benefits for at least four weeks during the one-year period ending on the hiring date. A “disconnected youth” is a person age 16 to 24 on the hiring date who has not been regularly employed or attending school and who meets other requirements.
The WOTC offers tax savings to businesses that hire workers belonging to any of 12 targeted groups, including unemployed veterans and disconnected youth. The other 10 include people ages 18 to 39 living in designated communities in 43 states and the District of Columbia, Hurricane Katrina employees, recipients of various types of public assistance, and certain veterans, summer youth workers and ex-felons. The instructions for Form 8850 detail the requirements for each of these groups.
The certification requirement applies to all groups of workers except employees who were Hurricane Katrina victims. Normally, a business must file Form 8850 with the state workforce agency within 28 days after the eligible worker begins work. But under a special rule, businesses have until Aug. 17, 2009, to file this form for unemployed veterans and disconnected youth who begin work on or after Jan. 1, 2009 and before July 17, 2009. Notice 2009-28, posted today on IRS.gov, and the instructions for Form 8850 provide details on this special rule.